Razorbacks Net 3 Seed in 2014 NIT; Host Indiana St.

Basketball, Razorbacks | March 16, 2014 by Sporting Life Arkansas | 1 Comment

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Arkansas will return to the postseason for the first time since 2008, when it hosts Indiana State of the Missouri Valley Conference on Tuesday at 8 p.m. CT in the first round of the 2014 NIT at Bud Walton Arena on ESPN, announced on Sunday during the NIT Selection Show on ESPNU.

The Razorbacks earned the No. 3 seed in their quadrant of the bracket to face the No. 6 seed Sycamores. The winner will take on either No. 2 seed California or No. 7 seed Utah Valley. The first three rounds of the 32-team NIT are played at campus sites of the higher seed with the semifinals and championship being held at historic Madison Square Garden.

Arkansas NIT History
It will be the third NIT appearance in program history and the first since 1997, when Arkansas advanced to Madison Square Garden and finished fourth. The Razorbacks are 4-3 all-time in the NIT, including 4-0 at Bud Walton Arena where their averaging 82.5 points over those four games. Both appearances came under head coach Nolan Richardson (1987, 1997).

Coach Anderson NIT History
Arkansas head coach Mike Anderson is 7-1 all-time in the NIT as a player and head coach. As a junior in his first season at Tulsa under first-year head coach Nolan Richardson, Anderson averaged 11.7 points and 3.5 assists while leading Tulsa to the NIT championship. Tulsa defeated Syracuse in the title game. The NIT championship came in Richardson’s first year as a Division I head coach while Anderson also made the NIT in his first year at UAB, advancing to the quarterfinals.

Against The Field
The Razorbacks squared off against eight teams in the 32-team NIT field this season, going 6-5 over the 11 games. In the non-conference, Arkansas defeated SMU, Clemson, Minnesota and High Point while falling to California at the EA SPORTS Maui Invitational. Arkansas is one of four SEC teams in the field, joining Georgia, LSU and Missouri.

Ticket Information
Public tickets are $15 and may be ordered online at www.ArkansasRazorbacks.com. Tickets may also be purchased from 8:30 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. at the Razorback Ticket Center in person or by calling 1-800-982-4647 option 1. Fans are encouraged to order online where seats can be selected and tickets will be delivered via email to avoid waiting in will call lines. Arkansas student tickets are $5 with student ID and may buy one (1) additional guest ticket for $5. Student tickets must be purchased in person at the Razorback Ticket Center or at the east entrance of Bud Walton Arena the night of the game.

Here is the complete 2014 NIT field.

SMU Quadrant

1. SMU
8. UC Irvine

4. San Francisco
5. LSU

3. Arkansas
6. Indiana State

2. California
7. Utah Valley

St. John’s Quadrant

1. St. John’s
8. Robert Morris

4. Green Bay
5. Belmont

3. Clemson
6. Georgia State

2. Illinois
7. Boston University

Minnesota Quadrant